Dramatic rescue to save humpback whale and her calf trapped in shark nets on the Gold Coast
- Two humpback whales are currently are currently tangled up in beach shark nets
- The large mammals are desperately thrashing around trying to free themselves
- Rescue teams from Sea World and the Fisheries Patrol are working to free them
A mother humpback whale and her calf become entangled in shark nets on a Gold Coast beach this morning.
The Queensland Shark Control Program was alerted to the pair of trapped whales in the water off of Main Beach at 11:30am on Friday.
The whales could be seen thrashing around in the water while caught in the nets in dramatic aerial footage captured by 9News.
A Seaworld boat and a Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol could be seen circling the large mammal, assessing how exactly to free them.
A marine animal rescue team from the Fisheries Patrol is using special equipment to free the mammals, according to Shark Program manager Michael Mikitis.
‘Sea World is also assisting in the release,’ Mr Mikitis told the Brisbane Times.
‘Our team was activated at 11.30am after the whale was reported though the Shark Control Hotline and confirmed using the Coastwatch cameras.’
Whale researcher Doctor Olaf Meynecke said ‘the conditions are difficult for a release’ because of two-metre swells and south-easterly winds of 15 knots.
Dr Meynecke said more whales could get trapped in nets on the Gold Coast within the next few weeks.
‘We are now actually coming to the main peak of the northern migration,’ he told ABC News.
‘Within the next two weeks we’ll see between 200 and 300 per day coming through the Gold Coast.’
A baby humpback whale was released after being trapped in shark nets off Burleigh Beach on the southern Gold Coast last month.
More to come.